Electricity
by Cobwebbs
Summary: Cassandra Cain is a special girl. Her brothers and father always say so. But when she starts attending a public school, she realizes not everyone agrees. She's off to a rocky start when they insult her and she gets sent to detention as punishment for defending herself. She's sure she'll hate school forever now - until she meets a handsome boy that's obviously trouble.
1. Chapter 1

A/N) **So, I am just going to say, this is not a popular pairing. I don't think anybody even remembers the boy in this. He was in the comics though, Batgirl 2000 run. When Cass was starting out as Batgirl.**

 **Tai'Darshan was in it for like four comics, very short lived, but I loved his character and story and always felt that he deserved to be integrated into her comics more. Not only did they have chemistry but he had the rare potential to become someone awesome.**

 **Oh well, no use crying over missed opportunities for character development.**

 **I've been wanting to write something like this for a while anyway. And I am only the second person to post with these two. I would have been the first if I wasn't chicken.**

 **But I was inspired so - I hope you give it a chance.**

 **Motivation is your Superpower.**

* * *

"You'll do fine sweetheart." It wasn't like Bruce to be so - so comforting.

All his boys knew that.

But when it came to Cassandra? Well, they all knew how much easier it was for Bruce to show his love. Which would have sucked and been a perfect excuse for well earned indignation and jealousy if they hadn't all loved her just as much.

"She'll be fine B, just look at her. She's not even nervous. Are you?" Dick gives the short girl a nervous look of his own. "I mean, cuz if you _are_ we can totally postpone this thing and you can just stay home where it's safe and out of reach of any - "

" _Dick_."

" _Whaaat_ , I'm just saying. Cass has never been to public school - and the kids there can get vicious. Trust me, sixth grade sucked." Dick shudders, as if reliving a horror movie.

Jason snorts at him from the lounging position he has on the couch, feet crossed and propped unwisely on Alfred's shiny coffee table, he'd better fix that before the old mans sees or else. "Shut up. She'll be fine. if anyone gives you trouble, just sock 'em in the nose, 'Kay."

Cass sighs and nods firmly, brown eyes narrow in conviction.

"Hey, don't tell her that!" Tim snaps as he walks in, a black backpack dangling from his elbow because he has a hundred different things in his hands. "Don't listen to either of them Cass, just be yourself. Everyone will like you!" He smiles and sets everything down so he can put it in the pack for her.

Damian rolls his eyes, shoves Tim just because and dodges the arm swipe the older boy throws at him before sidling up to the girl. "Here. It's a switchblade. Just in case." He presses the shiny closed black weapon in her palm.

"My God you guys! Ok, when I said she _might_ not be safe I didn't mean - _that_." Dick looks at Damián in mock horror - like where did he go wrong . . . _seriously_.

"All right boys, enough. Cassandra, let's go." Bruce cuts in, a vein throbbing in his forehead as the four boys start bickering more ways Cass should behave on her first day of school.

Cassandra just smiles adoringly at them all and takes her prepared pack from Tim. "Thank you. See you after school." She says gently and follows after their adoptive father.

"Don't take candy from any strangers!" Dick yell out after her for good measure.

"The hell Dick, that's not an issue. Avoid the seedy looking guys smoking behind the school dumpsters, even if you know their names! Drug dealers!" Jason yells over Dick.

"Cut it _out_." Tim groans.

"Just break anyone's nose if they try anything unseemly with you." Damian commands.

" _Damian_!" Dick shouts appalled.

"What - I saw on the three o'clock news this girl was - "

"OK!"

Cass giggles lightly at Dicks upset tone as Jason bursts into a fit of laughter. Tim just scoffs and then Damian starts ranting. Hah, those boys. She loves them to pieces.

* * *

Admittedly, on the car ride there, Cass had started to develop strange fluttering in her stomach that made her feel queasy. She wasn't so sure about this anymore. Ever since Bruce had adopted her from a refugee camp in Hong Kong she was kept and taught at his home, _their home,_ by a series of special tutors and the like. She had a rare condition where she wasn't able to speak for the longest time. She could read people's bodies better than understand their words. She was more adept at sign language than she was at speaking. Nevertheless - it came time, she was fifteen now, she needed to go to school. Her therapist had insisted to Bruce that now would be a good time to let her evolve and learn with others her age, so she could fit into society better.

Bruce just agreed because he didn't want her to end up a fake extrovert like him. Everyone in this family _knows_ how averse Bruce is to being social. It was only because he was under Gotham's spotlight as a Wayne that he faked it so well. Otherwise he'd _never_ go out.

She was fine with this change, even if it was starting to make her nervous. What if she doesn't find anyone she likes? Or what if nobody likes her . . . she can't just blend in like Dick, because everyone was instantly drawn to his charm and smile. She can't just ignore everyone and behave any way she wants like Jason who is himself no matter what anyone says. She can't just force an image and be mentally prepared like Tim did whenever someone judges him. And she most certainly didn't have a blood title to protect her like Damian had . . .

"Bruce?" She speaks up, voice gentle, she didn't raise it unless excited or angry, which was rare for her.

"Yes?" He always lends her an ear, no matter how busy he was.

She takes in his imposing physic, large warm hands that have always comforted her on the wheel. Straight mouth that would smile as quickly as it would frown. His straight posture fit for royalty, his slicked back hair that she knows isn't perfect in the morning when he comes down for breakfast. Everything about Bruce was comfort and warmth for her.

He was the father she never had and she can't imagine anyone else filling that space. "I love you."

She takes in the subtle way he startles as they turn down a nice road. The car is silent except for the AC humming in her face. He always takes a minute before responding.

"I love you too Cass. What's wrong?" He asks immediately.

She sags. Leave it to him to notice her worries. "Nothing. Just - nervous." She almost smiles at that, her mind flashing to Dicks dramatically anguished face.

"That's normal." He sighs and slides into a parking spot in front of her new school. _Rowen High._ Named after a dead benefactor some ten decades ago, Tim told her that. It was pretty decent, nothing like the schools in lower end Gotham according to Jason.

"But like I said before. You are smart and I know you'll do great. Just pay attention and if something does come up - well - " His eyes flit to the milling students as they trickle into the building. "Punch them." His lips pull up into a smirk.

Cass giggles again.

"Don't tell Jason I said that."

"Ok." She smiles big. "But what if I get into trouble _for_ punching them?" She says haltingly.

"Then they'll call me, reprimand you for your behavior and me for my lack of skill in upbringing and then I'll donate a nice check and they'll leave you alone." He says seriously, blue eyes flickering warmly. "Worked for the boys."

Cass always did wonder how Jason got to the end of high school without getting kicked out when he clearly got into fights almost everyday. And Damián too - how was he in fifth grade even being so rude and snarky with everyone, adults and kids alike.

Tim only rarely became violent and Dick was usually called in back when he was in high school because of his outspoken nature and people hating him out of jealousy.

"Ok, you'd better go before I change my mind." Bruce snaps her out of her thinking and leans over to press a kiss to her forehead.

Cass beats him too it and kisses his cheek before slipping out and grabbing her new pack. "Bye Bruce. Tell them not to worry. I'll be ok." She smiles and closes the door.

Her step is slow as she walks up the almost looming building in front of her. The car is still behind her, Bruce is waiting for her to go in. Cassandra lets out a breath, squares her shoulders, presses her white button up blouse down and walks in, ignoring the looks people are already giving her.

She did come out of Bruce Wayne's car after all.

"Hey, isn't that the deaf girl Wayne sponsors?" Someone hisses.

Cassandra feels sick suddenly, but she doesn't change face or pretend to notice. She heads straight for her locker. They think she's _deaf_? Why? Who ever said she was deaf?

"I think so - what's she _doing_ here?" A boy's voice answers.

"She's hot." Someone else snickers.

Cassandra bristles but remains calm, from the outside, nobody knows she can hear them.

"Who cares, I hope they don't think we should accommodate her."

"Shhh,"

"Why? She's deaf."

"And a Chink."

"Shut up man, that's just rude."

"Tacky outfit though." The comments were getting ruder as Cass walks up the hall, eyes forwards, mouth relaxed, face straight. Not only could she read bodies well, she was very good at conveying false masks with her own.

"You know, I heard she's just an exotic sex toy the Wayne brats use on their free time." Someone sounds extremely bitter.

Cass colors, but her golden yellow tone doesn't let it show just yet. What sort of lies did people make up? This was - _disgusting_.

"Hey, if I had money, I'd buy me a sexy foreigner too."

"Ew, she's not even cute!"

"That ass sure is though."

Cassandra's chest shudders as she makes the eternal walk to her first class and slips inside. The heat from everyone's eyes still burning all over her, she itches and for the first time in a while she feels anger rise up. How dare they talk about her father and brothers like that! How dare they degrade her body just because they thought she couldn't hear . . . and even if she was deaf, who talks about a deaf person in front of them like that?

 _Bastard_. Jason's voice rings in her head with he word.

 _Just ignore them_. Tim's voice advises.

 _Smile Cass, you're beautiful._ Dick always reminds her.

 _Nobody deserves to be your friend. Except me._ Damian had a funny way of showing affection.

She takes a deep breath and closes her almond shaped eyes.

 _It'll be fine._

Nothing is wrong. People were often just ignorant. It was only a matter of rectifying that ignorance, then they were usually not so bad.

She could handle this. It would be fine.

* * *

By lunch time, the news of the deaf Wayne sex toy from China had reached everywhere. Nobody thought she was able to hear them. Not even the teachers. They didn't even call on her during class. They just _assumed_. One teacher signed to her instructions at least. Most just wrote them on the board. But her English teacher was an ass and didn't go to such lengths. Either he didn't care or he just wanted to be vindictive.

But his face when she had turned in a hundred on her first English quiz was worth putting up with him. Cass stays silent though. Nobody deserved to hear her speak. She didn't care - she didn't care - she keeps reminding herself whenever someone says something nasty.

Who cares about them. If they can't be descent humans in front of her, regardless of them thinking she was deaf than she shudders to think what they would be like when she wasn't even there.

She doesn't care.

She won't.

Who cares?

Not her.

She could break any of their arms with her in home training. Bruce didn't like his kids to be defenseless.

Who cares anyway.

* * *

Than they start to bully her. She's been here for a week now and she hasn't told anyone about the comments or that they think she's deaf. But then they start to bully her too.

It was the girls that started it.

Smart AP class girls that couldn't understand how _she_ , a seemingly deaf Chinese girl, could get into _their_ class by the end of the week.

"You little bitch, how _dare_ you take my spot." A particularly nasty blond girl snaps at her.

Cassandra can see the discontentment, anger, and self loathing she has inside her. She feels pity, she stays silent.

"I worked my ass off for that score and you just came and took it away."

"Chill out Cara, she can't understand you." A strange goth girl rolls her eyes at Cass.

"Can she read lips you think?" A red haired girl with a crooked nose squeaks.

"Who cares. Beat her up." The blond sneers.

Somehow - _somehow_ after all this was over, Cassandra ended up in the office for breaking two cheerleaders arms and the instigators got away with a few well placed tears and words. Bruce looked thoroughly worried when he was called in.

Despite giving her the advice . . . Cassandra suspects he didn't really expect to be called in for her. She sags in the plastic chair she's shamefully shoved into. She's sorry she's disappointed him.

"I don't understand it. Cassandra wouldn't - not without good reason." Bruce was defending her. He looks pretty imposing in his pressed black suit and tie, he'd obviously just come back from a meeting.

Mr. Smite, the principal, looks unaffected. "With all due respect, _all_ parents say that. Now, I am all for self defense and what not Mr. Wayne, but a student can't just go around breaking other peoples arms because of a little bullying. It's out of proportion."

Cassandra seethes internally imagining Jason strangling this skinny snobby middle class man.

"Out of proportion? I think you've got this confused Mr. Smite." Bruce's tone is even, sever, it's the tone he uses on people who don't expect him to fight back, it's the tone his kids understand means - _you're in trouble_. " Bullying shouldn't be happening anyway. I don't need to tell you how sever some cases can get. And if my daughter has been subjected to this she is in the right for defending herself."

The smaller man pales a bit suddenly, realizing Bruce's tone. "She broke two arms." He repeats lamely.

"They ganged up on her." Bruce says back terrifyingly calm.

The young Chinese girl can't help but feel proud of him.

"I - I have no choice though. She is to be - "

"Think _very_ carefully about what your next words could mean Mr. Smite. For you and your schools reputation." Bruce's fierce eyes narrow. "You are aware of how one unfavorable statement from me could - damage the schools image."

"Um - two weeks of detention."

Bruce's eyes stay slits of death.

Mr. Smite starts sweating. The room has suddenly become too hot for him. "One week?"

The air is so thick Cass swears Mr. Smite will choke on it.

"Three days." Mr. smite looks red and splotchy now.

Bruce stands. "Fine."

"It's the best I can do. Some sort of punishment has to be given!" Mr. Smite is pleading now.

"Very well. But if those responsible for attacking her aren't met with punishment then I - "

Cassandra sighs and tugs at his suit jacket. Bruce give her a quizzical look. She shakes her head. She doesn't want to make things worse. She'll take the punishment. Without making things worse.

Bruce understands and relents.

"I'll be taking her home with me now. Have a good day Mr. Smite." Bruce smiles sharply and gives the man a firm handshake before taking Cassandras shoulder and guiding her out of the suffocating office.

* * *

The ride home was just as suffocating for a completely different reason.

"You aren't going to talk about it are you?" Bruce speaks up, almost sadly.

Cassandra shakes her head. "No point. I just want to - not make trouble." She says slowly, upset with herself.

Bruce sighs, she can feel his sadness, he's not upset with her, she knows that. She's just sad because she disappointed his expectations.

"Well, I did tell you to punch them." He muses out loud.

She giggles softly, eyes turned to the window. "Yah."

"Do that if they keep this up. I'll fix it if -"

"No. I can fix it."

" _Cassandra_."

"I don't want you to fix it for me." She says calmly, her eyes staring straight ahead now. She refuses to let him fight her battles.

He relents. He understands. Thank God for that at least. Really - Bruce has four sons . . you'd think he'd have learned about that internal pride they had. She had it too - he really shouldn't be surprised.

Maybe he'd have hoped, because she was a girl, that she would be more willing to accept his help, more gentle in the pride department . . . nope. That was - definitely not the case.

"Fine. But no more breaking arms. Just punch them, ok?" He says tiredly. Like - is he the only parent on the _planet_ that has to say that to his kids?

Cass finds that endearing and amusing. "Promise." And she'll try really hard to keep that promise.

* * *

Detention was boring according to Jason.

The boys had blown up when she'd walked in the other day with those scratches on her face and arms. Cheerleaders were strong but they still fight like weaklings. She didn't suffer too badly, just enough for the boys to notice and go into a rage fit about how they'd break every cheerleaders legs _and_ arms - that was mostly Jason and Damian - Tim and Dick were a bit more conservative with payback, but no less angry.

But in the end, Alfred had forced them all to calm down.

"T _ell me where they live!" Jason had yelled. "Tim, hack the computer. Tell me where they live!"_

 _"Ok, give me a minute - "_

 _"I'll go get the nunchucks." Damian was already going to the dojo._

 _Dick was silent but was in no mood to stop them._

That's why Alfred had to.

Cass smiles to herself at the memory, she feels warm. She really did adore those goof balls.

But now, here she was, standing in front of the lonely detention door, she was now the talk of the school, sneered and ridiculed and insulted - those cheerleaders get around.

She sighs, pushes back her shiny black hair and walks into, almond shaped eyes narrowing at the only other person in the room.

He was tall, and turned away from her. But she can read him easily. He hasn't seen her yet, she's quiet, even Alfred gets startled when she sneaks up on him. He has black hair, a short braid dangled with one bead at the end on the side of his face, he's humming something, his shoulders are broad and she can see the muscles in them under his black leather jacket because he has his arms crossed behind his head, his feet crossed and propped up on the large window seat. Completely at ease and immersed in his own thoughts as he balances his chair dangerously on the two back legs.

She feels funny just looking at him.

Maybe she should say something? But wait - if he was in here, doesn't that make him a bad influence? Dick says most kids in Detention aren't very emotionally mature people and tend to do stupid things for stupid reasons which makes them bad influences. Of course he'd looked pointedly at Jason at the time who was walking around shirtless looking for his pants. That had been a hilarious argument.

She comes back to her current problem.

The boy's chair drops with a loud sharp bang and he turns his head to her, his eyes were slanted and dark - very, _very_ dark, something tingles in her chest making it tight suddenly . . . he had a warm beige skin tone and he was most definitely not from white descent. He was from an Asian region, like her. She found that a bit exciting, she hasn't met many people from there.

"Hello there little miss." His voice had an accent, a strange lilt that made his letters sound slightly thick in some places and light in others, it matched the slight gravel of his voice. She _liked_ it. Made her think of honey over rocks.

She doesn't say anything. Maybe she couldn't even if she wanted to. But his eyes stay on her, follow her to her chair - she should be angered. Repulsed . . . but she can read him, she _knows_ \- with a shock that feels like someone pocked her with a live wire, she can feel what he feels at the exact moment she dares slip her eyes to his.

Her throat goes dry and she recoils a bit, suddenly afraid of what - what this was. She should be able to name it - she's seen it enough. Dick and Barbara . . . Tim and Stephanie - even Jason that one time with this girl . . .

But it's not the same is it? Tim and Dick know those girls. Cassandra has no idea who this boy is -

"Who are you?" She speaks, her voice low, eyes unable to look away.

"My name is Tai'Darshan. I'm obviously not from here." He smiles, it's sideways smile, not completely a smile - smirk, that's what it is, but it doesn't set her off like smirks sometimes do. It interests her, her eyes are drawn to the holes that appear in either cheek. Dimples, that's what they are and she never noticed those an anyone before, but she thinks - she thinks they suit him.

"You may call me Tai for the remainder of our sentence here." He speaks up and she suddenly feels like she could listen to him forever, but - but maybe she shouldn't.

"You are very beautiful Little Miss. Why haven't I seen you around here?" He muses boldly.

Cassandras heart flips unbidden, never has she been so out of touch with her emotions. Her slanted eyes widen as she takes him in - he - he was part of a gang. That was for certain now. His jacket had markings, it seems too specific for it to be just style. She could sense the danger on him.

But that doesn't scare her.

The fact that she _liked_ it - that's what scares her.

"I don't - go to your classes." She says simply, she would most definitely have noticed him.

"I see. Younger student then?" He tilts his head in fascination, black eyes glittering at her.

She swallows and nods, stomach tight and churning, hands clasp under her desk. Wasn't there supposed to be a teacher here?

"Well. Nice to meet you. Even if I don't know your name." He says smoothly, a hint of teasing in his accented tone.

Cassandra lowers her head so her short hair hides the inexplainable smile that tugs at her mouth.

Maybe detention wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

She finds herself _wanting_ to go to detention the next day. She wants to go and see if - if he was there. She thought about him all the rest of the day yesterday. Alfred had noticed her absent thoughts. She doesn't know why she can't get him out of her head. His smile, his eyes, his face, the sound of his voice, the tilt in the tones he used when he spoke and -

"Afternoon." He tilts his head back so it hangs over the back of the chair he's seated on. "The teacher just stepped out. I am fairly certain he's doing something unsavory on his 'bathroom' breaks." He mocks the would be overseer as she sits three seat away from him.

Any closer and she's afraid he will hear her heart.

She settles in her seat like she's planning on ignoring him the entire hour. She pulls out a book, Jason lent it to her, it's one of his favorites. And pretends to read, even though she's not in the least bit interested in abused orphans.

"Interesting choice in literature. " His voice is closer than she thought it would be.

She blinks once, continues to ignore him.

She hears his clothes rustle.

The air grows a tad thick. Cassandra swallows slowly, forcing herself to not look up, _don't look up - don't, don't_ \- she has this weird thought that if she does, she'll be betraying someone, probably Bruce. . . though she has no idea why.

A long finger hooks over her book and down the middle. She startles as he pulls it down, she barely resists. She can see him now, standing in front of her. He's not wearing that jacket today, but she's not sure if that's good or not. His arms are distracting with clothes over them, now she can _see_ his muscles move under his bare skin. She gulps, her eyes tug upwards, like someone is pulling them with a string, and she meets his.

Her stomach flips when he gives her that tilted smile, his dimples marking his otherwise smooth face, that braid hanging on the side, mixing with his loose long bangs.

"Don't I get some of your attention today Princess?" The way he says the last word makes her clench onto nothing, like she's going to fall over and she's trying to catch herself.

"I - no. I have to read." She stumbles over her words nervously. What was this boy doing to her? She suddenly wants to punch him. Does this count as hurting her? Does it? Because she feels horrible but - but really good at the same time and she's scared crapless . . .. as Jason would say.

"Now we both know that's not true." He puts his hands on the edge of her desk and leans forward just a tad. She almost leans forward too - like something was compelling her toward shim. Her toes curl in her shoes when his space overlaps into hers, his face a bare foot away from hers. No boy other than her brothers has ever invaded her personal space before.

"I - what do you want?" She hopes the hitch in her voice isn't noticeable, her fingers dig into her bare thighs when he reaches a hand, it's a nice sized one she feels the warmth from it before he cups the side of her face and her jaw, tugging her forward, tilting her chin up.

"You know what I want." His dark eyes darken even more and Cassandra knows _exactly_ what he wants. She's horrified. She wants whatever it is too. She licks her plump dry lips, his eyes flit to them when she does. She feels the cinders turn into flams that melt something in her stomach, let it trickle into her blood, speeds her heart up, her shoulders rise and fall, her chest aches the closer he gets. The electricity zips between the diminishing space and -

"What the _hell_ are you delinquents doing!"

Cass squeaks and hates whoever barged in, Tai whips away, its like he rips something in two when he stumbles back. She aches and almost reaches for him.

"Damn teacher - " The dark haired boy mutters something in a language Cassandra has never heard before going back to his seat.

"Damn teenagers and their hormones." The teacher mutters loud enough for both of them to understand and sits behind his desk like he was supposed to.

Cassandra flushes and sucks in her tingling bottom lip, she shoves her face into her book and chances a glance at the boy who's seated only one seat away now. His feet crossed on the desk and muscular arms crossed over his chest, he glances at her too. She feels those same shocks go through her and she has to fight to look away. She hears him chuckle under his breath, the sound makes her toes curl in her shoes.

 _Damn teacher is right._

* * *

"This is the last day of Detention." She tells him the next afternoon. She is sitting on the teachers desk, he's left again, her legs crossed at the ankles as she slumps over, chin in her propped up hand. "

"Sad. I still have a week to go." He sighs and lets his heavy booted feet fall on the ground so he can stand. "I will miss having you around Little Miss." He smiles at her, she prickles watching him walk closer, sauntering actually, her eyes take in the line of everything because he has so many lines.

"May I have something to remember you by?" He husks, caging her on the desk with his arms on either side of her as he leans forward. "What do you think? May I?" He whispers, his eyes unmoving from hers.

She knows the answer before she even thinks it. Her eyes flit to his lips, his smile slowly fades as her eyelashes flutter and she dares to lift her chin on her own. She wants what he wants and neither knows _why_ they want it so much.

It's like some outside force was just magnetizing them together, but they were fine with that. "Mh, you _are_ beautiful. Silent and beautiful. Like the moon when it rises - " His hand raises up, warm against her face, she reaches and tangles her fingers in his collar.

"Please?" She's asking . . . she's asking him for something her body knows much better than her mind does.

"Anything for a princess." He says softly, laughter in his voice as he finally - _finally_ \- tilts forward and takes her plump bottom lip between his. She freezes when the electricity shoots through her so hot and fast her mind spins, the warmth bubbles in her stomach and her eyes slide shut. The damp heat of his mouth makes her ache. He pulls back.

She gasps, that was - it?

Then he comes back, takes her bottom lip again, one, two, three times before she gets flustered and hot. She slips her hands into his hair with a small groan, her head angles, she's never done this before, ever -

He smiles against her lips before he cradles her face with both hands, hers clasp around his wrists and she lets him take the control for a moment. His lips melt with hers, her body arches, toes curl from the severity of the shock waves, colors ignite in her belly, heart in her ears. The soft click of their mouth is the only sound in the silent room, his hand travels down to her leg, hot on her bare thigh, she lets him tug her legs open, her heart summersaulting when he steps between them, she wraps them loosely around his waist and he makes a _sound_ -

Cassandra pulls away, eyes so dark they're almost black, he looks at her, hazy and his lips swollen from hers. She feels sparrows erupt in the stomach from that. He looks as delicious as he is.

"What was that?" She asks softly, voice hoarse.

He smiles and tug her closer, nose brushing her softly, lips ghosting over her top one. "The sound of the effect you have on me, Beautiful." He kisses her again and Cassandra is all to happy to let him.

Needless to say, by the time the overseer comes back, both are at their separate desks, Cass's blouse is unbuttoned a bit and Tai's hair is tousled. But otherwise they would have hid their feeling well if it weren't for the tingling electricity in the air that was so _blindingly_ obvious, - the teacher doesn't need to even look at them to know what has happened.

"Damn hormonal teens."

Cassandra and Tai share a smirk.

That's when the petit girl decides - maybe school won't be so bad with him around.

* * *

 **A/N) So - I might continue. Maybe. See what the boys think of their little Cass's new attraction. She's never had one before - even in the comics Tai was her first love.**

 **Hmmm . . . I kinda wanna write out Dick's reaction to this, ooh and Jason's'! Oooooh and Bruuuuce!**

 **Yah - let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N) I don't even know what this crossed into. This is definitely the most lighthearted fic I've written on here I think.**

 **Whatever, I hope you guys find this at least a little humorous because - you know - that's what I was going for . . .**

 **Motivation is your Superpower!**

 **Enjoy.**

 **P.S. The boys are massive dweebs in this.**

* * *

Jason was just minding his own business, you know - listening to some music, walking down the hallway, aiming for the kitchen to get a nice drink or whatever. His workout session had been intense and now he was itching for some cold milk. _Yah_ , just minding his own business.

Until hands like claws grab him from the shadows and drag him backwards so fast he trips over the rug and chokes on a suppressed shriek.

Dick's got him in a desperate choke hold and Jason's ready to _shoot_ him.

"Hey! The hell, you ass?! What is this - "

"Shhhhhhh!" Dick hisses in his face, successfully shutting Jason's rant down before he could start with the sharpness of the sound - well - dramatically grasping his hair and squishing his face helped stop the rant too. The elder boy looks bewildered, pale, and down right terrified.

 _Uh-oh_. Dickie bird was having one of his _drama queen_ moments again.

"I repeat. The hell?" Jason narrows his eyes dangerously at the frantic looking wannabe adult.

"I said _shhhh_ , she'll hear you." Dick sounds panicked.

Jason sighs. _Ok - he'll bite._ "Why? Who'll hear me? I swear if you're hiding from another ex-girlfriend again so help me, I am telling Barbie so she can - "

"No! No - it's _Cass_!" Dick whispers fiercely, hands pressing against the wall, head tilting back like he's some spy in a cheesy movie or something.

Jason feels weirdly triggered. "What's wrong with Cass?" Dick's panicking could be contagious. No matter how much Jason refuses to admit it. But if anyone mentions something's wrong with Cass - Jason's pretty quick to go into protector mode.

"Nothing- _physically_. I don't think - but - but look at her!"

The younger male tilts his body backwards from the seated position Dick tackled him into and peeks through his bangs around the corner into the den. Cassandra was in there, calmly sitting on the sofa, leaning over the coffee table with some text books around, a pen balancing between her fingers and a soft smile on her face.

Jason's face flattens.

"She's fine. She's _fine,_ Dick." He turns a glare at the idiot in front of him. _Moron_ , making him worry for nothing.

"No! She's _not_ \- I mean she _is_ \- but she's _not_ \- " Dick's still whispering in that urgent blubbering kind of way and Jason wants to _punch_ him. "She's - she's _happy_ Jay!"

 _That's it._

Jason punches him.

Dick doubles over with a gasp and promptly and dramatically falls back against the wall. _Idiot_. Jason's preparing to kick him when Tim comes around the corner and stops, gives them a confused look then just shakes his head.

"Never mind - I don't want to know."

"Dick's being an idiot again." Jason snaps, informing the younger anyway.

"I said, I don't want to know."

"Guys! Cass is happy and - "

"So? Isn't that a _good_ thing?" Tim throws Jason a confused look as if to ask for an explanation to Dick's weird attack.

Jason shrugs.

"No, I mean yes _it is_ \- especially since she's been having a hard time in school but - but she's a _different_ kind of happy. She's happy and - and we don't know the reason." Dick tries to elaborate and only serves to confuse his brothers even more.

"So what?" Damian butts in from behind, scaring them all.

"Geez kid - wear a bell." Jason snaps and stands tiredly. _So done with this crap._

"Just look at her face, Jason!" Dick shoves his younger brother to peek around the corner.

Jason's eyes narrow and study Cass's face. "She's smiling. She's doing homework. She's being cute Cass. So what?"

"No - the _faaace_ Jay. _The face._ I know that face - that's an- _I have a crush on somebody_ \- face. Just _look_ at it! I've been the cause of many people making that face - "

"Not the time to inflate your ego, Dick." Tim states flatly, arms crossing.

"What does that even mean, Grayson?" Damian is clearly confused, therefore angry, therefore ready to bite the eldest Wayne's head off if he doesn't start making sense. Basically, he'll do what everyone else will restrain themselves from doing.

Dick looks at them flabbergasted. As if to say, how can they _not_ know what he was talking about? "Guys." He takes in a deep breath. "Our baby sister, _you're_ big sister- ' He points at Tim and Dami " -Has a _crush_ on a _boy_ and we have no idea _who_ he is or _what_ he is or _where_ he is, and what if he does something unspeakable to her and we're just - we don't know!"

"We don't know that for sure, Dick." Tim tries to reason with the distraught eldest. "She could just be having a really good day, which you will ruin if you keep being weird." A _h, sweet little Timmy_ \- ever the logical voice.

"You're being ridiculous." Damian throws in for good measure.

"She's _humming_ you guys!" Dick blurts out as if that was the final piece of proof they needed to believe him.

Jason gives him an utterly unimpressed look - they all do - " _Dick_." He starts slowly. " _You_ hum. Like, all the time. I want to shoot you half the time because of it."

"Yah, you hum a lot -" Tim agrees. "Jason hums when he's reading - "

"Hey!"

"Even Damián hums the lion king intro when he thinks nobody is around."

 _"I do not!"_

"What's you're point?" Tim's really not getting why Dick's so freaked out.

The poor guy is ready to pull his hair out. "My god! Just trust me on this. There's humming because of habit, then there's humming because you're in love. And _that_ \- " He points a finger at poor oblivious Cass. "-is the in love kind."

Jason's tilts around the corner again, his eyes study his sister harder. _What the hell was this idiot talking abo_ \- Then he _sees_ it. His heart drops, his eyes widen, and he _sees_ it. Her small smile, that weirdly dreamy look in her eyes, she's barely focused on the book in front of her. She's humming nonsensically - she's - are those hearts on her notebook?

He feels like someone just ripped his heart out, blew it up, and shoved whatever survived back inside his rib cage.

His baby sister was in love -

With a guy.

They didn't know.

Doesn't matter even if they did.

 _She was in love with a guy._

And Jason was going to _kill_ him.

"And we need to - Jason? Hey, hey Jason, what's the matter?" Dick stops mid rant and eyes his brother curiously. The others have gone still as Jason straightens and looks at them with murder written all over his face.

"We gotta find out who this douche bag is. And we gotta _hang_ him."

Tim and Damian just stare.

 _Holy crap -_

They peek around at Cass.

 _Holy crap -_

Their sister was in love.

And whoever dared make her like that - was dead meat walking.

* * *

"I don't know guys - this feels kind of, like, invasion of privacy or something." Tim was getting a bit uneasy with the methods Dick and Jason had concocted. _Ok_ , Cassandra was in love - ok . . . that was - terrifying and unsafe and _yah_ . . . but spying on her? Wasn't that taking things a _taaaad_ too far?

"Shut up, here she comes." Jason snaps from his perch in the tree.

Evidently - they don't think so.

"Stop squirming Grayson, I don't need that." Damian bickers from behind the bush where Dick was dressing him in a disguise. What was funny was the disguise was meant to make Damian look like a kid, an _unsuspicious_ kid. Baseball hat pulled down, striped shirt that Damián would ever wear, short jeans, that Damian would never wear, and sandals. Also something Damian would never wear.

"Ok, operation - _find out who think their good enough for our sister and promptly kill him_ -is a go. You good up there Jason?" Dick says, dusting his hands off and looks mighty proud of himself as he adjust Damian's baseball cap a bit more.

"Great. The barks digging into my ass but still -anything to get this Jackass." Jason snips through the leaves.

Tim sighs and shakes his head. Well - a _nything for Cass right_? He slips on his headphones and prepares his part of the op. "If Bruce find out about this - "

"He'll thank us. We all know Bruce won't talk about it but the thought of Cassandra having another guy - aside from us - in her life scares the crap out of him." Dick seems entirely certain of that fact. "The only one that might see reason in her having a - " Dick chokes on the word.

" _Boyfriend_." Jason spits. "Boyfriend - of Cass having a _boyfriend_." It's like every time he says the word they all shudder ominously.

"Yah, _that_. Only Alfred _might_ be ok with it. He'll have the guy over for tea or whatever to make sure he's ok but - but then . . . If he _was_ ok - " Dick grimaces at the thought

"Yah, yah. I get it. Doesn't matter if he's ok. We still need to destroy him." Tim finishes for the older drama Queen.

" _Exactly_. And I'm gonna enjoy it." Jason chuckles darkly.

Sometimes - Tim worries for his brothers sanity. For all their sanity's -

"Here she come's guys, I got visual." Jason suddenly hisses form his look out post which was entirely unneeded now that Tim thinks about it. "And she - looks all" Jason grimaces. "Preppy. In a freaking Pink skirt - since when does Cass own anything pink." Jason was totally disgusted now.

Their sister was dressing in cute clothes that weren't her style for a guy they don't know.

"Damian, start tailing - but not too close, we don't want her to catch wind of you yet." Dick instruct the youngest with a small push in the direction that Cassandra headed in.

Damian squares his shoulders, takes a deep breath and tugs his shirt in irritation, polyester doesn't agree with him. "Understood. Just do you're job." And he's off with a yo-yo in his hand, expertly walking the dog.

Impressive actually.

But Tim would never tell him that.

"Now - now we wait fellas. We wait for our prey to show up." Dick sounds like one of those villains in the old black and white movies. Complete with vicious glint in his eyes and hand rubbing.

Tim rolls his cornflower blue eyes. "Yah - and if he doesn't?"

Jason snort. "Than we stalk her until he does. Easy."

 _God_ \- they're forgetting who they're stalking. "This is _Cass,_ guys - she's not going to be oblivious for long. She'll catch wind of us - then what?" Tim wasn't a pessimist - ok, so maybe he _was_ . . . but that's only because he likes to be _prepared_ , to think of every possibility, every eventuality, of anything that could, may, will go wrong. So it might come off as pessimistic and - or paranoid.

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it Timbo." Jason says simply, like it's no big deal.

" _Cross_." Dick says flatly.

"What?" Jason sounds confused. Tim snorts.

" _Cross_ that bridge, Jason."

Jason groans in irritation. "They say burn too, Dick."

"Yah - ok. But why do you always have to pick the more violent option of everything if there's a _less_ violent one available."

"Because the option I pick are usually more fun. C'mon, you can't tell me you've never wanted to burn a bridge before - "

"No."

"Ok, shhhh - Damian's got her in his sights." Tim shuts them both up and taps at his computer in his lap, he blows the stray grass strands away from it and pulls up the feed from the small camera build into Damian's hat logo. A blurry picture comes up - he tinkers some more . . . _there we go_. Now he can see his sister clear as day.

"Remind me again why _I_ can't just follow her instead?" Jason sighs from his tree limb.

"Because you suck at tip toeing." Tim replies flatly.

Jason shrugs. Not like he can argue with that.

Dick crawls towards Tim, resting his chin on the teens shoulder. "So - any suspicious people yet?"

Tim resists the urge to cringe from the tickling of Dick's chin and shakes his head. "Not - wait a sec."

Dick chokes on air.

"What? _What_?!" Jason sounds panicky for a second and almost falls out of the tree in his desperate attempt to get down. He rolls to a crouch next to Tim and instantly a shadow covers his face.

" _Who the hell is that?_ " He sound's like he just cursed the guy to hell.

Tim shrugs. Dick looks horrified.

"I don't know!" He almost wails. "That's - even worse. I was kinda hoping I was wrong about this even though I'm rarely wrong when it comes to this sort of stuff but - but _guys_ . . . I genuinely have _no_ idea who the hell that guy is." Dick's panicked look alters drastically suddenly, freaking both Jason and Tim out. A shadow crosses his eyes and he could give Jason a run for his money now. "We need to find out who he is. His family, where he's been, what he does, when was the last time he used the bathroom - every damn thing. Nothing's passing us."

Tim swallows. The mood dropping in degrees. "Got it." And he's off - "Get closer Damian."

Damian nods, the screen moves and he nudges closer. Jason and Dick lean forward and Tim suddenly has the heavy feeling that he's about to be crushed. He throws them a dry look.

"Guys. _Space_."

They back up.

"Thanks." He turns back to his computer.

They're crowding forward again a second later.

Tim sighs. _Whatever_ \- he gets back to work, "Get a good shot of his face so I can screen shoot it." He says into his mic.

Damian moves in casually and - shit! The brat runs right _into_ the guy.

"Sorry!" They hear Damian squeak, uncharacteristically cute.

The guy smiles at him. "No problem, nice hat."

"Thanks dude." Damiáa's voice lilts in a smile. "See ya!" And he's off - they can only pray Cassandra didn't see right through him. Damian's a good actor but - but still. _She's Cass._

Tim bites his lip, rewinds the vid, stops and cuts, he zooms in and - _there he was._

"He's not much older than Cass - I'd say he's Jason's age tops." Dick muses out loud, though he looks disgusted by that fact. "Which means he could be legal and Cass isn't and that's - "

"Jailbait." Jason cuts in abruptly.

Dick pales.

Tim nods grimly. The thought of Cass being - "He's foreign. Listen to him." He replays the words the guy said to Damian.

"No problem, nice hat."

They all listen hard. Tim replays it.

"Guy's definitely foreign. Russian?"

"Don't know - there's something about his face though." Jason draws out in thought, chin in his hand as he narrows his eyes at the screen shot. "He's not bad looking - I guess . . . if you're a girl." He observes, disgruntled by that. He never thought Cass would even be interested in good looks - then again none of them really thought about Cass getting a boyfriend either.

Dick stiffens. "You'd think she'd be immune to good looks with a brother like me around."

"Get over yourself." Jason scoffs and shoves Dick.

Tim glares at the picture and taps into the computer. "Maybe Damian can get us a name?"

His phone lights up next to him.

Jason snatches it before Tim can and swipes it to the texts.

"Damian says you're a jerk and of course he can." He reads flatly.

Tim shrugs. "Ok then. Go for it Pip squeak."

Damian does just that, only this time he takes the long way around.

Time to find out who this guy is.

* * *

"He literally took her around the park." Jason seems really irritated by this. "What? He couldn't spring for a restaurant or something? What kind of ass just makes a girl walk around a park all day for a date?"

"The kind that knows Cass isn't really into Restaurants." Tim deadpans.

Dick lets out a deep and exhausted and extremely depressed sigh. "He _knows_ her. He knows what she _likes_ \- he - he didn't do anything we have a right to kill him for . . ." The eldest boy looks near tears. "And she likes him! Guys . . . he's - he's taking her away from us."

"Damn." Jason mutters angrily at the screen. Damian has been following them around for two hours and so far - the worst thing the guy has done is probably make Cass's feet ache.

"We'll still get him." Dick sits up - revived suddenly. "This won't stand. We're not going down without a fight."

Tim feels very inspired right now. "Agreed."

So far they know the guy's name is Tai - Cass had said it once, he's definitely not from here and from the small bits they caught of their conversations, he likes to read and garden. _That's it._ Non threatening and - dare he think it - _nice_. Tim grimaces. _That can't be_. Something has to be wrong with this guy.

There's something wrong with every guy - some more so than others - but still.

"Hey - hey - he's-" Jason cuts off.

The guy has taken Cass's hand and - Tim bristled, Jason's nails dig into the dirt, and Dick looks ready to _hurt_ someone. He kisses her fingers. _Gah_! He _kissed_ her fingers - God, imagine if he'd -

Tim can only see blood and a head on a pike at the end of _that_ scenario.

Finally, she says good bye and heads back. He goes in the opposite direction.

The boys scramble to their feet.

"Shoot - we have to get back before she does." Jason gasps as Dick yanks himself up using Jason's shoulders.

"Go, go, go!" Dick shoves them both, Tim squeaks, nearly drops his baby and runs.

"Abort mission Damian- subject is heading home, I repeat, subject is heading home!" Tim huffs into his mic.

Damian's feed shuts off and they know the boy's running faster than them.

Whatever happens - Cass can _not_ know about this.

Not yet.

There's still too much they don't know about - _Tai_.

 _Bleck_!

* * *

"Where ya goin' Cass?" Jason almost demands stepping in front of his sisters pathway out the door. It's been three days since they started stalking her and he's getting antsy.

Cassandra looks up at him - confused for a moment then maybe - maybe a little _guilty_? Jason kind of feels bad now. But this must be done.

"That's a nice get up you have on - must be going to hang out with someone yah?" He really should stop. This wasn't part of the plan - keep it on the down low, don't make her suspicious, she can't know - _blah, blah, blah._ Dick was acting like this was a life or death thing . . . well it could be - for the guy anyway. But Cass was their sister and Jason would damn everyone if they try and stop him from making sure some creep doesn't get his hands on her.

"I - I was going to the library. Meeting with a new friend." She doesn't bat an eyelash.

Jason feels like someone just bitch slapped him. She - she's _lying_ , isn't she. He feels betrayed, distraught, miserable. Of all the people to lie to him - Cass had never been a part of that mental list.

And now? Some punk with an accent comes swooping in and turns her against her morals.

 _Bastard_.

"Yah - ok. Have fun." He steps aside, droops considerably and slinks into the den, avoiding her eyes entirely.

Once the door clicks shut, Tim practically explodes from the couch and Jason very nearly screams - not that he would admit to that.

 _"The hell Tim!"_

"I saw that! We agreed no third degrees until _after_ we have all the information. " Tim reprimands.

Jason lets out an unimpressed huff and flops down on the couch so hard Tim falls off. "Who cares. I don't need info to clobber someone. Let's just go take him down, threaten his liver, and make sure he moves back to whatever country he came from before Monday."

Tim groans from his fallen spot on the floor."You're an ass. And yes, we _do_ need info- "

"I don't. "

"What if he's some ambassador from another school or something? What if he's the son of a famous politician - what if _anything,_ Jason?"

"He hangs out with Cass, why the hell would he hang out with her if he was such a big shot?" Jason snaps, irritation levels rising like a clogged steam pipe.

"She's adopted by _Bruce Wayne._ Duh."

Jason wants to smack him for that.

"Here's what I got." Tim stands, gets this weird excited gleam in his eye - like he enjoys stalking people - and starts tapping at his laptop. "He's seventeen - not legal yet - he's from a country called Tarakastan, he went to school in Russia. His blood type's O and other than his medical records and health I don't know anything else about him. Or who his parents are. So - tread carefully." _There_. Tim closes his laptop with an air of satisfaction.

"You're a freak, you know that." Jason states flatly.

Tim promptly throws a pillow at him.

"Guys!" Dick burst into the room, hair wild and jacket flapping around him.

"What now?" Jason was still sour over the fact that Cass might have lied to him.

"Damian's at the library, he says Cass is there with the guy! We got to go . . . all sorts of unspeakable things can happen at a library." Dick's face twists in horror as he seems to realize the weight of his own words.

"You'd know wouldn't you." Jason snorts. "You're usually doing half of those things at the library."

" _Ew_!" Tim cringes. "I do not need that mental image, Jason."

"Guuuuys!" Dick nearly whines to get their attention."Our Baby sister is at the library. Alone, in a dark reading room - with lots of space - " His face is crossed between furious, horrified, and distraught.

Jason shoots up so fast Tim hiccups in surprise.

Then all three go off like a chain reaction and almost kill each other trying to get out the front door.

* * *

"Which room do you think he's - "

"Hey!"

Dick stops upon hearing Damian's fierce whisper behind the rom-com section of the bookshelves. "Hey Dami, what's the stat?"

"He's sitting with her, too close for comfort - I don't like the way he's looking at her, Grayson."

 _Good Lord_ \- Damian knows ' _the look_ ' a guy gives a girl when . . . this is probably a bad thing seeing as he's like ten. _Oh well_ \- Dick will muse over that later. First things first - protect Baby sisters virtue from a no good creep that only wants _that_ from her and -

He shudders, swipes the image of his sister being molested and turns his frazzled nerves to steel.

"Time to find out what this guy's really after." He hisses at the other three.

Jason nods firmly, Tim sidles up to the shelf, and Damian look around to hide in some weird spot.

"There she is." They all poke their heads from top to bottom of the shelves to see Cass sitting on a two seat couch, much too close for their liking and she's _laughing_. The guy is smiling at her like he's waiting to eat her -

Dick shudders.

 _Not on his watch._

"Ass." Jason mutters under his breath next to Dick, his eyes fixated on the guy like he's ready to stab him with a book.

"Ok, we just need to casually destroy this - maybe one of us walks in and acts surprised she's here or whatever then he _has_ to talk to us and - " Dick brain short circuits.

The guy's _hand_ \- they all zero in, their eyes turn into laser's as they watch that offending hand raise up and. Touch. Her. _Leg_.

Surprisingly - it's _Tim_ that blows up first. Jason and Dick jump when the younger shoots up and _literally_ falls into the room.

Cass and the guy startle, and the douche moves his hand from her thigh.

"Tim?" Cassandra tilts her head in confused surprise - her eyes flit around as if trying to deciphers what he could possibly be doing here, on the floor.

Tim groans and stands, shakes his head and turns laser eyes on the confused guy next to their sister. "I came to check out a book." He says so flat a pancake would be impressed.

"Ok?" She's still eyeing him - _reading_ him.

 _Dammit_ \- Dick grits his teeth, ignores his anger and does the dumbest option. He walks right in after, snatching a random book from the shelves.

"Heya Tim, I got the - Oh!" Dick stops, face sparkles into a smiley congenial look, even though on the inside he's plotting murder. "Hey Cass, fancy meeting you here. Tim and I were just doing some research."

Cass looks weirded out.

"Guess we got the book, Tim." Dick smiles brighter, it starts to blind them.

Jason restrains himself, Damian waits to see if there's an opening from his spot on top of the shelves. Maybe Dick will need rescuing.

"Yah - yah, research for uh - " Tim eyes the book Dick just threw at him. "How to be Hot after Fifty?! - Um - heh!" He sweat drops.

Dick's not done. "Who's your _friend_ there Cass. I don't think we've met him before." Give the guy an award - Tim's never seen him this _smiley_.

Cass now shifts uncomfortably. "This is - "

"Tai'Darshan. Nice to meet you. Are you Cassandra's brothers?" The guy stands and reaches out a hand.

Jason saunter in.

They all freeze.

Tim throws him a' _why the hell'_ look. Jason shrugs. He's been _dying_ to look this douche in the eyes since day one.

"Hey there _Tai_." He smirks and snatches the hand shake before Dick can. He puts some force into it. Tai's eyes flicker and connect with his before his mouth turns into a tight smile. "Nice ta meet ya." Jason drawls and give him a good firm hand shake, that has an _oh so subtle_ but obvious meaning that only another guy could catch on to. His eyes never wavering, like lasers.

"You too - "

"Jason."

"What are you three doing here?" Cass pipes up, startling them, Tim and Dick from silently glaring at the guy behind his back and the ego contest Jason was having with Tai.

"Checking out a book." Jason snaps and lets go of the guys hand - eyes still digging into him.

Tai seems to understand - smart guy - and backs up - then stupidly stands next to Cassandra. Ok - so maybe he _doesn't_ understand.

Dick's ready to rip him a new one. "We gotta go. See at home Cass - nice to meet you _Tai_." He tries his hardest not to spit the guys name.

"You too." Tai smiles politely. There's something - _smirky_ about it though.

Dick ignores it and hustles both his brothers out. Then he throws a glance over his shoulder. Tai looks _right_ at him and - Dick feels like someone just shot him - the _bastard_ just looks right at him and _laces his fingers with Cass's -_ and that polite smile - it's _not_ a polite smile - it's a _challenge_.

It takes every ounce of will power Dick has to not turn back and bite the guy's hand off.

Bastard knows what they were doing here. He _knows_ what they're thinking - he _knows_ how much they must hate him . . . and he's rubbing it in their faces that - that Cass is with him.

Dick is _pissed_.

 _Really, really pissed._

And by the looks on Jason's, Tim's, and Damian's faces - they feel the challenge.

This wasn't just an info gathering op anymore.

 _This is war._

* * *

 ** _A/N) I'll admit I laughed a little at the end. Ooooh Tai knows what's up and he's sticking it to them - jerk ;P_**

 ** _Our poor boys, so overprotective and dorky - sigh._**

 ** _I'm thinking this one-shot got away from me though. It's probably gonna be a three-shot now - maybe. It might end up a four-shot, we'll see._**

 ** _Thanks for reading! Hope this was fun for you!_**

 ** _Next up - will Bruce come into this war? Hmmm - what do you think his reaction would be?_**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N) Here we go, last part I believe - finally. I think I should just finish all my series before the end of the year - I hope so. I'll try.**

 **Motivation is your superpower.**

* * *

When Bruce found out.

Oh boy.

 _When Bruce found out._

All the boy sort of expected him to turn into a demon lord ready to unleashed the fiery doom of hell over the mortal that dares touch his preciouses daughter.

He just sat on the couch instead.

Silently staring into empty air like he was trying to vaporize it with sheer will.

And that reaction - was so, _so_ much worse than what they were expecting.

"Name."

"Look Bruce - maybe he - he's not so bad I mean - " Dick tries, like an idiot - moron always was too righteous to actually harm anything -

"Name."

The tone is deadly. Flat. Colder than the artic.

Jason almost shivers. He should be excited about this - he should be, but committing murder is more fun when _he's_ the one planning it - not when Bruce's voice is going to do it.

Dick sighs. Like, just _saying_ the guy's name will kill him.

It probably will.

"Tai - Tai'Darshan. He's a foreigner - junior at her school."

"Occupation."

"Um - student? And - I don't think he has a job."

They all hear the silent additive Dick doesn't say out loud _, 'He might be part of a gang though.'_

That won't go over well.

"Fine." Bruce lets out a breath. "This is what's going to happen. You will find Cass. You will inform her that we want to meet this - " His teeth grind so hard Jason's surprised they don't break - " _Boy_ \- and you will get him here. For dinner. Tomorrow night. Understood."

Translation. _Find Cass, tell her we know about this punk, and that he's going to be executed promptly tomorrow night, probably before desert._

They nod. Tim and Damian have been - smartly - silent. Dick and Jason glance at each other.

This is going to be intense.

* * *

Cassandra isn't speaking to them.

None of them.

And they feel awful about it.

But - but sacrifices _must_ be made for the greater good . . . That's what Dick keeps saying. His brothers believe him less and less each time. _Heck_ , he's not sure he believes himself anymore either. After they told Cass what Bruce said she sort of just been giving them the ice cold shoulder.

Now tonight - she won't even look at any of them as they all sit around the living room - waiting for that horrific moment when the guy rings the doorbell. Bruce is waiting too - just not where anyone can see him. He's hiding - like a dragon in its lair waiting for its prey to be stupid enough to come close to his treasure - in this case, Cassandra.

Dick tries to lean back against the cushions on the couch, he runs a hand through his hair just to have something to do with them, his eyes flit to Jason who's sitting on the arm chair, elbows on his thighs and head hung down, his right leg jittering up and down with nerves, Tim's ignoring them by pretending like he's reading something on his tablet and Damien is currently in a stork pose for the past fifteen minutes, discipline training he calls it. Or in other words - trying to keep himself calm lest he rip someone's head off. Cass is reading a book viciously in the corner furthest away from them all.

Dick wonders if he should say something.

He opens his mouth to try - then the doorbell chimes, an ominous, chill inducing, sound reverberating through the entire lair - er - house.

They've all gone stock still - even Cassandra freezes. Their nerves crackle in the air; the boys chance a glance at each other than dare to look in Cass's direction. Her eyes are narrowed at the living room door.

They hear footsteps; Alfred's is answering the door.

"Why, hello young sir. Please - the young masters and miss are eagerly awaiting your arrival." _Yeah right. Good ol' Alfred and his ability to lie politely._ "Right this way."

Two sets of footsteps.

Dick watches Jason's shoulders hunch up like a tense cat, he sees Tim's fingers twitch like he's having caffeine withdrawal, he fears the daggers coming out of Damien's eyes and Cass -

The door opens to reveal their trusty butler and then Him. He walks in - face smiling calmly, hair done neatly back, no jacket, no sign of gang involvement - normal jeans, a nice blue t shirt - nothing weird or out of the ordinary.

 _Oh - he's good._

"Hello all." He smiles at them, but his eyes are only on Cass.

Then - their precious baby sister does the _worst_ possible thing she could do - she bounds up into the guys arms, hugs him tightly with a radiant smile and - and _kisses_ him.

Now - on the scale of kisses, one being a peck and ten being well - a _ten_. That kiss was, maybe, a one and a half - but she did it in front of them all and it might as well have been an _eleven_. Because - because they all erupt internally. She flashes them a look, Cass is pissed at them, Dick doesn't know what to make of this sort of revenge their beautiful sister is casting towards them - but it's killing him.

"Happy to see you." Cass says softly.

The bastard - guy - smiles down at her, like four very dangerous, very _angry,_ males aren't in the room. "Ecstatic to see you princess."

Alfred interrupts _. Thank God for that_ , because come tomorrow morning the Wayne boys would have been wanted all over the continent for a brutal murder of a high school student.

"Dinner is served. Come now - don't want the entree's to get cold." If Alfred feels the bloodlust in the air he doesn't say anything. He's smart that way.

Cass smiles brighter and leads her – _guest-_ out of deadly eyes.

The door closes behind them.

Dick turns to his brothers. The looks of anger range from murderous to murderous. Even Tim looks ready to stab someone.

"Did we just get brushed off?" Tim says suddenly.

Jason nods, eyes narrowing at the door like he's trying to melt it down. "She's waged a war we aren't going to win."

"That individual has her wrapped around his little finger." Damien spits, clearly disgusted that their sister could be taken by such a low life form.

Dick sighs so loud it sounds like he's screaming. "Let's get through dinner - he hasn't met Bruce yet so . . . maybe there's hope."

He doesn't sound very hopeful and they all know it.

* * *

"Hello. I'm Bruce - "Bruce reaches out a large hand for the unsuspecting prey to shake.

Which he does. The guys either really brave or totally stupid. Both probably.

"Nice to meet you sir, I'm - "

"Tai'Darshan - I know who you are." Bruce does this eye brow thing that seems to say everything his words don't _. I know who you are, I know everything about you, from your first word as a child to the last time you've gone to the bathroom_.

 _Terrifying_.

The guy smiles.

 _Idiot_.

They all take a seat.

"Shall we begin?" Bruce starts off dinner by reaching for the bread.

* * *

They eat in silence. It's _agonizing_. So, _so_ agonizing, Dick's ready to pull his own teeth out.

Clinking of metal against china, soft ' _thunk'_ of glasses being put down on the wood table, soft smacking occasionally, cloth rustling, napkins unfurling - every teeny tiny sound is magnified a hundred times louder because of the tense silence in the air.

Dick's lost track of what everyone is doing.

The clock ticks. _Why hasn't Bruce said anything? Why hasn't he? Why hasn't anyone? This was ridiculous_ \- this needs to stop; someone needs to shatter this suffocating silence -

Dick slams his hands on the table, startling everyone, they stop eating and look at him, Bruce flashes him a glare he ignores - maybe Bruce has a plan but this was getting to be too much for him.

"Hey Tai - why _are_ you with our sister?" He blurts out - forget subtlety.

It seems like the tension sky rockets. Cass is glaring at him - he could be dead a thousand times over by now.

Tai doesn't seem to upset though - either that, or he's hiding it pretty well. He puts down his utensils and dabs at the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

"Because she is an amazing young woman and I am honored that she's decided to spend her time on me at all."

Dick feels like he's been socked in the face.

 _Amazing - young - woman, Cass is growing up isn't she? She decided - not I like to spent time with her - she decided to spend time with him -_ there's nothing to d about that. This guy was mart.

Bruce puts down his glass with a hard ' _thunk'_. "I hope your intention is pure."

 _Really Bruce? This isn't the eighteenth century._

Tai nods, hiding a smile. "She is - so she doesn't deserve any less."

 _Good answer._

"But she's still young - what's to stop you from taking advantage of her?" Tim pipes up.

"She will." Tai's smile spreads to a grin. "Or don't you trust her?"

 _Oh - right in the heart._

Smug Bastard.

"Don't you?" Cass asks, startling them, she's giving them all a beseeching look, eyes wide now, anger gone and replaced by pleading.

Bruce's hand tightens on his glass. "Of course we do - "

"It's _him_ we don't." Jason spits, giving his potatoes a malicious stab.

"I'm aware of that." Tai says calmly and takes a bite of steak. "But I assure you - "

"Your assurance means _nothing_." Damien cuts in, tone sharper than a knife.

Cass stands up abruptly, her palms flat on the table as she eyes all of them. "Stop it. Stop treating him like this."

"It's alright Cassandra - it's to be expected. They _are_ you're family after all and they don't know me." Tai tires to placate her, she won't budge. "If I was them - "He looks at them, no hint of maliciousness in his eyes."I would want to protect you too."

Jason blows up. Dick is surprised it took him this long. "Shut your damn mouth - you don't _get_ to want to protect her - she's our - "

"Jason, stop it!" Cass looks furious."

"No Cass this jerk wad can't just come in here and try to sweet talk us into accepting that he's got his claws in you - "

"He doesn't want to-"

"Jason, Cass, calm down - " Bruce stand now, so do the rest of them.

"Fuck this - and you!" Jason spits at Tai who, for his part, looks worried.

"I know what guys like you are like - you act all nice until you get what you want - " Jason looks ready to punch Tai's face - "Then once you get it you'll throw her away and we'll be left to pick up the pieces."

"Jason he's not like that - stop it!"

"Cass hang on, we're doing this for you - you don't know him that well, maybe you shouldn't jump right into - " Tim tries to speak.

"I say we throw him out!" Damian shouts, wielding his fork like some kind of sword.

"Guys, wait - maybe we should take a deep breath - " Dick's shocked this reasoning is coming from him.

Bruce clears his throat - "I suggest we do what Dick says, he has a point - let's all take a step back and - "

"No!" Jason explodes and reaches for Tai.

"Wait Jason!" Cass gasps.

Tai dodges Jason's grip. Damian aims a kick to his shin. Tim tries to stop the younger but he misses - Damian sends Tai over board. Cass tries to grab him, Jason trips over Tim who falls over Damian, Dick shouts for them to stop - He trips -grabs the table cloth. Food, china, utensils, and drinks go scraping off the table and smashing all over the floor.

"Stop!" Cassandra shrieks.

It shocks them all still. Tai's underneath Jason who has him in a headlock, Damien's wrapped around Tai's legs in an effort to keep him from escaping and Tim looks like he's caught between stopping them from committing murder and trying to help them at the same time.

Dick coughs, the salad bowl turned over his head, oil and lemon juice dripping down his hair and face.

Cass looks livid, her face blotchy as she shakes at them in anger.

Dick shudders - he knows what a teenage girl meltdown looks like - and it's _never_ pretty - but this is the first time he's seeing it on Cass - and that's somehow ten times more terrifying.

"I hate you - All of you! Leave Tai alone, he's not what you think he is!" Tear are gathering in the corner of her eyes as she seethes. "He's the only one who talked to me like I was a normal human being in the entire shit hole of a school!" The curse stuns them all. Even Bruce. "He's the only friend I had - he's the only one that likes me and doesn't treat me as some deaf Asian chic with a sketchy situation!" Her voice cracks from the volume she's screaming at.

She stops.

Only her heavy breathing and controlled sobs are heard in the deathly silent room until she whirls around and runs out, slamming the door so hard the walls shake.

The air is so thick, Dick can't even swallow it. He sits up slowly and takes the dripping bowl off his head, eyes down cast. _Maybe she was right - maybe they were blowing this way out of proportion, maybe - maybe they were being the asses in this fairytale._

Alfred walks in, calm, cool, and collected.

His eyes rake across the disaster in his dining room. He doesn't bat on eyelash, he merely opens a silver toped tray. "Would anyone care for dessert?"

* * *

Cass has never been so angry in all her life.

She's furious. She'll never forgive them. She'll _never, ever, ever forgive them! T_ hey don't' understand, Tai is special, _they don't understand_.

Nobody understands what it's like to be a foreign girl adopted by Bruce Wayne. They were all Boys - they all come from here or in Damian's case - he's not even adopted.

But they were all boys. None of them have it as hard as she does. Boys can get away with things - boys can date whoever they want and the people find it fascinating. Boys can do whatever they want. Boys don't have to hide behind a name.

She doesn't want to hide either but - but a name is all she has, and it's been warped by those pricks at school.

Cass sniffs loudly and uses a fist to wipe the tears dripping down her face angrily.

She can't believe them - the boys that were supposed to be her best friends, her shields, her supporters – she couldn't believe they would do this to her, it breaks her heart.

Cass feels the heart break. She grabs her pillow and buries her face into it and screams.

She's not one for vocal display of emotion but - but tonight had just brought it out of her. Besides, she can scream if she wants to.

So she screams.

Then a familiar knock shakes her door.

Cass hiccups. "What?" She gives in and answers her voice watery and scratchy.

"Cassandra, sweetheart?"

Bruce. Of course Bruce would be the one outside the door.

"Go away." She's never wanted him to go away before, but he was as much a part of this hurting as her brothers were.

"I will – but a word please, I understand what just happened – you – you're unhappy."

"Understatement." She is furious.

Bruce sigs heavily on the other side of the wood. She refuses to feel badly about it. She hugs her pillow to her chest and feels like wronged child as she pouts at her wall.

"But you have to understand, the boys – we all – are worried about you. Maybe there was a better way to handle it but – we don't' know this boy and you are much to precious for us to just let it go." Bruce says softly, the door creak, he must be leaning against it.

She doesn't answer him.

"It's not that we don't trust you Cassandra."

"Yah right." That's exactly what this is.

"We do trust you – it's just that we worried so much this past month – you don't seem to tell us what's happened at school lately and I was beginning to worry that this boy – " He doesn't spit the word 'boy' out at least, "That he might have taken you down the wrong end – and I was blaming myself because I should have pushed you to talk to me more. I'm sorry sweetheart. I really am. But don't hate your brothers." Bruce sighs again. "They love you more than they can say. The mean well. You know that."

She does.

"Talk to them please?" Bruce pleads now.

"I don't want to." She's being stubborn she knows, but still – she's mad.

"I understand – but at least – at least give them a chance to explain themselves better. Alright?"

She stays silent for a moment. So does Bruce – she thinks he's left now – but then she hears his sad sigh again. She gives in and opens the door, looking up at her slightly relived father figure.

"Fine. But it had better be good."

Besides – she was never one for grudges anyway.

* * *

"I hate your guts." Jason says flatly, leaning against the mantel of the fire place.

Tai sighs and tugs at his stained tee shirt. "I gathered."

They were all in the living room now, except for Bruce. Jason has the sneaking suspicion that the old man went to go talk to Cass - which is probably a bad idea.

"I don't get why though."

Damian scoffs at Tai.

Jason's sneers at the douche, "You're kidding right? You're moving in on our sister- _how_ have you not figured it out yet?" Was this guy seriously that _stupid_?

Tai straightens and rolls his shoulder back, he steps into Jason's space, eyes stuck on his, not wavering an inch. "I know that. But, _why_? Why do you think that's such a bad thing? What have I done that warrants you to hate my guts for liking your sister?"

He's got Jason there.

"Aren't you part of a gang?" Tim accuses suddenly from his perch on the couch.

Tai bristles. "I used to be."

They all glare at him.

Tai rolls his dark eyes at them. "Back home, I was part of a revelation. To help my people against those who oppress us and take our lands."

"Real noble of you." Jason spits.

"But they caught us - most of us were young, like me - they deported us to other countries so we couldn't make any more trouble for them."

"So you're like an illegal immigrant?" Tim asks, clearly not liking this conversation.

Tai shakes his head. "No - not illegal. But I was kicked out of my country. I didn't have any friends for the three years I've been here."

"Cry me a river." Jason snaps.

Tai ignores him. "Cass is the first person to talk to me - like I'm not some empty headed foreigner." He narrows his eyes at some memory.

Jason scoffs and turns away. "Still doesn't give you a right to touch our sister."

Dick signs and steps in. "Maybe, maybe we're blowing this out of proportion guys?"

He might have a point. But Jason doesn't want to accept it.

"Cass deserves better." Jason says instead.

"Of course she does." Tai answers, his eyes connecting to Jason's again. "She's your sister - of course she deserves better. But maybe - "He stops, his eyes darting to Dick.

Dick sighs and sags. He's done with this. Jason can see it - Jason doesn't know if he should feel betrayed or what.

"Maybe Cass should be allowed to decide what's good enough for her." Dick finishes for Tai.

Damian looks ready to explode, the jealousy clear on his face. Tim just looks like he wants to disappear. He probably will - _later_.

Jason's fighting with himself. He knows Dick's right - he knows this is getting ridiculous, he knows that Cass deserves their trust. But - dammit - can't a guy worry about his baby sister?

"Thank you."

The boys startle and turn towards the soft voice.

Cass is standing there, rubbing an arm, her eyes red and her face shiny from crying. Jason feels guilt eat at him. He's sorry. He's angry at himself for being the cause of those tears - and here they were trying to protect Cass from a guy so she _wouldn't_ cry - and they're the ones who made her cry in the end.

"Thank you all." She says again. She's calmer now.

Dick nods and steps forward to take her into a hug. "We love you Cass - we're sorry."

She gives him a teary smile as Tim walks up and hugs her too.

"We didn't mean to hurt you." Tim mutters into their hug.

Damian sidles up and grabs her shirt. "If he hurts you I will kill him in his sleep." He threatens. Tai snorts and Cass sighs lightly and kisses Damien's hair.

She turns to Jason now. He won't look at her. His arms are crossed to close her off of himself.

But she doesn't take that signal.

"Jason?" She reaches out and touches his bare forearm. "Please?"

He resists for a full moment. But how could one resist those big brown eyes of hers?

His defensive stance drops and he reaches out for her. Cass smiles brightly and falls into his arms, hugging him tight.

"Sorry we beat him up."

She laughs. "I love you guys too."

And it's like someone opened the window because they all drop the tension from their shoulders and crowd around her laughing too.

The night goes on without anyone dying at least.

Sure, Jason tenses a bit when Tai touches Cass's shoulder, and Damian wedges himself between them when Tai tries to sit closer to her and Dick maybe keeps side glancing them every time Cass touches Tai but - baby steps.

Cass was growing up and they needed to accept that. They will, eventually

And if Bruce gave Tai a hard handshake that means ' _death will befall you if you hurt our precious flower'_ before he leaves for the night, well - better safe than sorry right.

As far as Jason's concerned, Cass is really lucky to have a father and brothers like them.

If someone asked Cass, she would agree – but she's not going to tell them that, no matter how much she loves her, sometimes annoying, protectors.

* * *

 _Thanks' for reading. See you in another story, I hope. Favorite and/or follow me please!_

 _Thanks again._


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